Car-replacer.



J. A. MOYNIHAN.

GAR REPLACER.

APPLICATION FILED 11011.17, 19141 15,151,941. Patented Mar.16,1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

. @wmf J. A. MOYNIHAN. GAR REPLAGER.

n APPLICATION FILED NOV.1'7, 1914. L1 31,941.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915 l" i T u'mA 7a2/wage@ C UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JEREMIAH A. MOYNIHAN, 0F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OIE' ONE-HALF TO THOMAS E. SANDS, 0F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

GAR-REPLACER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

Application led November 17, 1914. Serial No. 872,595.

T0 all 'whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JEREMIAH A. MOYNI- HAN, a citizen of the United States, residing in Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car- Replacers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to car replacers of the kind shown in my U. S. Patent No. 1,001,213, of August 22,1911, and the object of my invention is to dispense with the approach block shown in said patent and to provide a reversible tread replacer of such improved construction that it may be used on either side of the track and for cars moving in both directions without danger of misguiding the car wheels or of being dis* placed when in use.

Another object of my invention is to provide a clamp for the replacer which may be also reversible without being detached and may be used on either side of the track or when the replacer is set to guide cars moved in either direction.

In carrying out my invention I form the replacer with a body portion which on its upper and lower sides is formed with vertical side flanges between which there are grooves in the body portion. The flanges are slightly closer together at their front than at their rear ends and the inner flange on the upper side of the replacer is adapted to overlap at its front end the tread of a railway rail and to engage the flange of the car wheel and guide it over the rail and to the inner side thereof. The companion inner flange at this time is arranged to rest on the base flange of the rail. The outer flanges of the replacer are each so formed at their rear ends as to start the car wheel in the right direction and insure that the flange of the wheel shall pass over the top of the rail, and said outer flanges also act as guards in directing the wheel in the proper direction. At its front end each outer flange projects a short distance ahead of the inner flange and serves as a guide for the wheel when it is mounting the rail. The rear end of the replacer is formed with lugs which project upwardly and downwardly from the outer flanges, serving as guides in starting the treads of the wheels into engagement with the replacer and serving also to engage a railway tie or sleeper and prevent endwise movement of the replacer, which latter is locked to the rail by a reversible clamp attached to the replacer near its front end.

Other features of my invention are also hereinafter specified.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of part of a railway track with two of my improved replacers in position for use, two car wheels being indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the replacer showing how it is applied to a rail and a tie. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the clamp preferably used. Fig. A shows a side elevation of one of the improved car replacers indicating how it is applied to a railway rail and to a railway tie and indicating by dotted lines how a car wheel mounts the replacer and passes therefrom to the rail. Fig. 5 shows a side elevation of the replacer, looking at the inner side thereof. Fig. 6 is a rear elevation thereof. Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 8 is a view on an enlarged scale in transverse section on the line S--S of Fig. 4 through the replacer and a railway rail showing how the replacer is clamped thereto. Fig. 9 is a detail view on an enlarged scale showing how the clamp may be turned in the replacer and applied to the rail.

Portions of two rails of a railway track are indicated at A and the replacers are indicated generally by the letter X. Each replacer, which is cast in one piece, comprises a body portion c having on its inner side, which in practice is always next the rail, an upper flange c and a lower llange c2 and on its outer side it is provided with an upper flange c3 and a lower flange c4. By this construction grooves 05 are formed above and below the body portion between the flanges, and the width of each of these grooves gradually decreases from its rear end toward the front, as clearly indicated in Fig. 1. The replacer is also tapered as a whole on its upper and lower sides from its front fc to its rear end m, as clearly indicated in Figs. A and 5, and as also shown in Fig. 2. This provides an inclined support for the wheel to guide it from the ground onto the rail. The upper flange c at its front end is adapted to overlap a rail A, as indicated in Fig. 1, while the front portion of the corresponding lower flange 02 is adapted at this time to rest on the flange a of the base of the rail. At its front end the upper flange o projects a short distance beyond the front end of the flange o', as indicated at b, this projecting part serving as a guard or guide in directing the car wheel while passing onto the rail A. At its rear end the flange 03 is proj ected rearwardly as indicated at b', and the surface at b2 is formed, as shown, in such manner as by its engagement with the body of the car wheel to prevent the flange of the wheel from entering the groove c5 and causing said flange to ride over the ange c.

lThe tread of the car wheel engages the projection and prevents the flange of the car wheel from entering the groove c compelling it to pass between the flange c on the lefthand replacer and the adjacent track rail. The replacer on the opposite side or right hand side of the track, as indicated in Fig. l, is so arranged that the projection b engages the wheel flange and said flange is caused to enter the groove c and bear against the inner side of the flange c3, while the wheel is passing over the replacer. ln like manner the flange c3 on the left hand replacer bears against the side of the body of the wheel until the wheel is ready to leave the replacer, at which time the flange of the car wheel passes over the adjacent track rail and finds its place on the inner side thereof.

As clearly shown in Fig. 2, lugs d are formed on the replacer projecting upwardly and downwardl therefrom. The uowardlv projecting lug serves as a. guide to properly direct the wheel and in reventinO' 1t from riding onto the flange c3, while the down' wardly projecting lug is adapted to engage a railway tie T and prevent the replacer from being pushed forward. l.' may also form recesses 7 in the outer flanges c3, c4 as indicated, to receive railway spikes F which may be employed to securely fasten the replacers to the ties if desired, although in most cases it is not necessary to use spikes for this purpose. Y

In order to clamp the replacer to a rail I employ a clamp, of the kind shown detached in Fig. 3, comprising a shank c, a head e and laterally projecting lugs e2. I may also form the shank with an opening e3 for a purpose hereinafter described.

Near its end the replacer is formed with an opening G which extends through the body portion c thereof and is adapted to receive the clamp E. The clamp may be inserted into the opening G in the manner indicated in Fig. 9 and may then'be given a quarter turn in such manner as to engage the rail, as indicated in Fig. v8, at which time the lugs c2 of the clamp will rest on flanges g on opposite sides of the opening F, as indicated in Figs. -l and 8. It will be observed that the lugs e2 rest on the top lof the flanges g Vand the arrangement is such that when the replacer is reversed the lugs will rest on the other side ofV said'flanges which will then be at the top. OrdinarilyY .a of the rails and usually, or preferably, the

lugs CZ are made to engage the railway tie. rThis is usually suflicient to hold the replacers (which are quite heavy) in place when replacingthe car, but spikesF may be employed to securely fasten the replacer to the ties if desired. v Y i The general method of-using the replacers is similar tovthat shown in my beforemen-l tioned patent. Two such replacers are, of course, always used, one being on the outside of the track and the other on the inside, the proper arrangement being indicated in Fig. l. V

lt will be observed that the replacers on the right and left hand side are of precisely the same construction, can be made from the same pattern or mold and the clamps are also of the same construction and may be made in a similar way. lt is also true that the replacers may be reversed or turned over so as to be properly set for replacing a car when moved in the opposite direction. The

economy of the construction Vwill therefore be quite apparent. Y

As clearly shown in Fig. 2 the front ends of the flanges c', c2 are curved slightly toward eachother so as to better engage the 1 top of the `rail and as the lower flanges c2 rest on the flanges a of the rails, the re-V placers cannct sinkunless the rails also sink, and thus the relative .position of the replacers with reference tothe rails is maintained. The clamps E may, if'desired, be removed from the replacers, but this is not necessary as the openings G are so formedV that the clamps may be reversed by turning them when required. While the clamps E usually hold the replacers tightly, when necessary, as when the replacers are used on small rails, spikes or wedges may be passed through the openings c3 to tighten the connection.

The clamp YE can be readily adjusted to any kind or size of rail and while it is possible to remove it from the replacer, this can only be done when the clamp is turned to the position shown in Fig. 9.V The clamp is not subjected to any weight from above, the strains being entirely sidewise. f

lf' claim as my invention:

l. A reversible tread carY replacer, comprising a body portion having inner upper and lower flanges and outer upper and lower flanges with vgrooves betweenV them, said outer flanges being arranged to project rearwardly from the body portion of the replacer to a greater extent than the Vinner flangesV when the latter enters the replacer and toV force the wheel flange sidewise over across the inner flange of the replacer.

2. A reversible tread car replacer, comprising a body portion having upper and lower inner flanges and upper and lower outer flanges with grooves between them, said outer flanges extending both forwardly and rearwardly to a greater extent than the inner flanges for the purpose specified.

3. A reversible tread car replacer which is tapered from its front end rearwardly in both a vertical plane and a horizontal plane and which is formed with upper and lower inner flanges, one of which is adapted to overlap a railway rail and the other of which is adapted to rest at that time on the flange of the rail, and which replacer is formed also with upper and lower outer flanges which are separated from the inner flanges by grooves and which project forwardly and rearwardly to a greater extent than the inner flanges. j 4A. A reversible tread car replacer, com* prising a body portion formed with upper and lower inner flanges and upper and lower outer flanges separated from the inner flanges by grooves, said outer flanges projecting rearwardly to a greater extent than the inner flanges and being provided with upper and lower lugs adapted to engage a cross-tie when applied to the track.

5. A reversible tread car replacer, having upper and lower' inner flanges and upper and lower outer flanges separated from the inner flanges by grooves, and which replacer is formed near its front end with a clamp-receiving opening and a reversible clamp extending through said opening having a head adapted to engage a rail and laterally projecting lugs adapted to engage the replacer on opposite sides of said opening.

6. A reversible tread car replacer, comprising a body portion having upper and lower inner flanges and upper and lower outer flanges with grooves between them tapering from their rear to their front ends, said outer flanges extending both forwardly and rearwardly to a greater extent than the inner flanges.

7. A reversible tread car replacer, comprising a body portion having inner upper and lower flanges curved toward each other at their front ends and outer upper and lower flanges with grooves between them, said outer flanges being arranged to project rearwardly to a greater extent than the inner flanges for the purpose specified.

8. A car replacer, comprising a body portion having on its inner side an upwardly projecting flange and on its outer side an upwardly projecting flange separated from the inner flange by a groove which tapers from its rear end forwardly, said inner flange being curved downwardly at its front end to engage a rail and said outer flange at its rear end projecting rearwardly to a greater extent than the inner flange.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my naine.

J. A. MOYNIHAN.

Witnesses:

T. E. SANDS, F. F. ELLswoRTH.

naples o! this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

